NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
A2
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Former Union County sheriff done with law enforcement
Boyd Rasmussen
surrendered all
of his police
certifi cations
By PHIL WRIGHT
La Grande Observer
UNION COUNTY —
Boyd Rasmussen no longer
can be a law enforcement
offi cer in Oregon.
And from the account
he provided to the Oregon
Department of Public Safety
Standards and Training, he
no longer wants to.
The former sheriff of
Union County surrendered
all of his police certifi cations
in January to the Oregon
Department of Public Safety
Standards and Training,
according to public records.
Rasmussen, who did not
responded to requests for
comments, signed a stipula-
tion with the DPSST on Jan.
6 and stated his days in polic-
ing were over.
“I am retiring from law
enforcement,” he stated per
the agreement, “and have
been offered a position with
(a) company which will not
require a law enforcement
certifi cation.”
He also was critical of
the Oregon Department of
Justice’s investigation into
him for allegations of public
corruption and misuse of
Dick Mason/La Grande Observer, File
Former Union County Sheriff Boyd Rasmussen, left, surrendered all of his police certifi ca-
tions in January to the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, accord-
ing to public records.
public funds.
The justice depar t-
ment investigated Rasmus-
sen based on allegations he
misused his offi ce, includ-
ing for creating an informal
contract in 2011 to provide
the town of Elgin with police
services and accepting more
than $7,000 in that deal while
he received his sheriff’s
salary.
“The DOJ investiga-
tion was based upon many
false statements made by
former disgruntled employ-
ees during my reelection
campaign. I was hopeful they
would conduct a speedy and
fair investigation which in
my humble opinion did not
occur,” Rasmussen stated
in the agreement. “The
investigation started in the
Forecast for Pendleton Area
| Go to AccuWeather.com
TODAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
A rain or snow
shower in spots
Mostly sunny and
chilly
Strong winds
developing
Be advised for
strong winds
Partly sunny and
chilly
42° 28°
42° 27°
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
45° 29°
45° 32°
42° 32°
early spring of 2019 and
concluded, unfortunately,
approximately one-and-a-
half years later during my
reelection campaign.”
Rasmussen blamed the
justice department for releas-
ing their “fi ndings” to the
public the week before ballots
went to Union County voters.
“DOJ did not release the
report to me nor did they
47° 33°
45° 27°
Nearly 80 cats
found on property
of Richland resident
OREGON FORECAST
ALMANAC
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Seattle
Olympia
43/28
35/23
51/25
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
44/28
Lewiston
44/34
48/26
Astoria
46/33
Pullman
Yakima 50/31
45/28
43/30
Portland
Hermiston
48/34
The Dalles 48/28
Salem
Corvallis
49/32
Yesterday
Normals
Records
La Grande
37/25
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Eugene
Bend
50/33
44/25
40/23
Ontario
45/26
Caldwell
Burns
59°
45°
50°
30°
71° (1988) 13° (1993)
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
Albany
48/30
0.00"
0.49"
0.75"
1.08"
0.36"
2.03"
WINDS (in mph)
44/26
41/20
0.00"
2.01"
0.90"
2.92"
4.03"
2.28"
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Pendleton 33/19
47/32
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
HERMISTON
Enterprise
42/28
49/32
53°
40°
49°
30°
68° (2002) 5° (1894)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
46/30
Aberdeen
38/23
45/26
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
48/34
By SAMANTHA
O’CONNER
Baker City Herald
51° 35°
49° 34°
Today
Wed.
Boardman WSW 10-20
Pendleton WSW 12-25
Medford
54/31
SW 3-6
WNW 4-8
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
49/19
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
6:44 a.m.
5:34 p.m.
1:26 p.m.
4:50 a.m.
Full
Last
New
First
Feb 27
Mar 5
Mar 13
Mar 21
BAKER CITY — A group
effort is underway to help a
colony of feral cats in rural
Baker County.
Best Friends of Baker Inc.
is working with other orga-
nizations after a call from a
Richland resident who lives
next door to the property
where an estimated 80 cats
are living.
Phoenix Dawn wanted
to help her neighbors, so she
reached out to Best Friends
and created a Go Fund Me
account.
“There were about 30
cats inside and maybe 50
cats outside,” said Farrell
Riley-Hassmiller, the volun-
teer cat coordinator with Best
Friends.
Groups working with Best
High 86° in Immokalee, Fla. Low -13° in Estcourt Station, Maine
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Friends to help the cats and
kittens are: New Hope for
Eastern Oregon Animals, Blue
Mountain Humane Society in
La Grande, Pendleton Paws in
Pendleton, Fuzzball Rescue
and Cat Utopia in Hermiston,
Humane Society in Portland,
and Cat Adoption Team in
Sherwood.
“It’s amazing,” Riley-Has-
smiller said.
In addition to providing
medical care to the cats that
need it, Best Friends is seek-
ing to spay and neuter the
animals as quickly as possi-
ble to prevent further breed-
ing and an increase in colony’s
population.
Baker County is at a disad-
vantage since there is no shel-
ter for cats locally.
“That’s why most of these
cats are going elsewhere,”
Riley-Hassmiller said. “We’re
very fortunate to have that
network and to be able to
help.”
Riley-Hassmiller said Best
Friends is using vouchers from
the Mollie Atwater Spay and
Neuter Fund to help Dawn.
“We are providing vouch-
ers, helping her (Dawn) with
the trap effort,” Riley-Hass-
miller said.
New Hope had made a
donation to an account in
Dawn’s name at the Animal
Clinic of Baker.
Blue Mountain Humane
Society was willing to take on
all indoor cats at their facility
as a holding space before send-
ing them to the other rescue
homes. The Humane Society
will process the cats, check
them for ringworm and pneu-
monia, and assess how social
the cats are.
From there, a majority of
the kittens were sent to Fuzz-
ball Rescue. Several cats and
kittens with ringworm were
sent to Pendleton Paws and
Cat Utopia.
The Cat Adoption Team in
Sherwood, south of Portland,
had agreed to take the cats and
kittens who were positive for
Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)
and immunodefi ciency (FIV),
Riley-Hassmiller said.
IN BRIEF
NATIONAL EXTREMES
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
“I do not believe I have
done anything to warrant
decertifi cation,” he stated in
the document. “I am disap-
pointed I can’t fully vet
out the facts for the policy
committee to review.”
Rasmussen also stated he
was blessed to have worked
with tremendous people at
the sheriff’s offi ce, partner
agencies and “the good citi-
zens of Union County.” He
said he was proud “of the
professional offi ce that has
been structured the past four
terms and the employees we
have hired. I know they will
continue to serve the citizens
well.”
In signing the stipulation
to hand over his certifica-
tions, he waved his right to a
hearing or appeal.
Les Hallman, the interim
director of the department
of public safety standards in
training in Oregon, signed
the stipulation on Jan. 12,
and DPSST then revoked
the former sheriff’s certifi -
cations.
Cody Bowen succeeded
Rasmussen as sheriff and
has been in the offi ce since
early January. Bowen had no
comment about his former
boss and said he is focused
on the future of the sheriff’s
offi ce and improving it and
reestablishing trust, if need
be, with the community. He
also said he remains commit-
ted to greater transparency.
Effort to help a colony of feral cats
is underway in rural Baker County
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
48° 28°
inform me of their accusa-
tions prior to releasing the
information to the public. I
simply was not able to refute
the allegations before the
citizens voted,” according to
Rasmussen.
The justice department
released the report on April
28, 2020, ahead of the May
primary election. Rasmussen
at the time claimed “the DOJ
cleared me.”
Redacted and unredacted
versions of the report —
obtained both through public
records requests — stated
the statutes of limitations
had run out on any crimi-
nal charges Rasmussen may
have faced.
Rasmussen in the stipula-
tion also stated, “DPSST was
in the process of conducting
a fair and objective review
of the facts which I believe
would benefi t me in retain-
ing certifi cation. They appear
to be interested in seeking
information from full-time
current county employees
to offset DOJ’s lack of inter-
views with that group of
witnesses. However, given
what my family and I have
been through with an almost-
a-year-and-a-half investiga-
tion during a campaign, and
also that I have started a new
career path, I have elected to
surrender my certifi cation.”
He also remained fi rm in
his stance that he had done
nothing wrong.
Two new academic programs
approved at EOU
LA GRANDE — Eastern Oregon Univer-
sity’s Board of Trustees approved new
academic programs in agriculture entrepre-
neurship and special education at its regular
meeting on Thursday, Feb. 18.
Provost Sarah Witte introduced both
programs to the board. Students who major
in agriculture entrepreneurship through the
College of Business can choose to earn a
Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science or Bach-
elor of Applied Science, either online or on
campus. The degree is designed to be trans-
fer-friendly and equip farmers and ranchers
with skills to leverage modern tools.
“Agriculture entrepreneurs must rely upon
planning and decision-making processes that
coordinate and balance the social, economic
and environmental demands on the natural
resources of their community and region
along with the unique challenges and issues
in agriculture production and supply chains,”
Witte said. “Degree programs addressing this
emerging fi eld must operate in the nexus of
business management, public policy, science
and technology, and agriculture.”
Meanwhile, the College of Education seeks
to address a high demand for special education
professionals in rural areas. The new under-
graduate program offers a highly effi cient
curriculum that will allow graduates to enter
the workforce with their initial licensure to
teach special education in just four years.
The 75-credit, comprehensive program
combines coursework in core study areas with
structured in-person and online student teach-
ing experiences. Currently, the only other
program of this type in the state is located at
Portland State University, hundreds of miles
from the high-need counties on the east side
of the state.
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